Black Fire
by Crimson Love20
Summary: Mark and Courtney are high school sweethearts; oh yeah, and vampires. What happens when they find themselves face-to-face with the Cullens? And what will become of them when Renesmee devises an evil plan to get rid of Courtney? ExB, AxJ, RxEm, RenXJacob.
1. Prologue

**Another new story... I seriously can't stop getting ideas. LOL. I'm trying to stop, but it's not working... obviously. Ha. Okay. I'm putting a prologue on here, so you guys aren't like, well, who the freak are these people? Okie-dokie, then.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Cullens. But Mark and Courtney are mine...**

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_Courtney's POV_

School was so boring. I had to get out. Only five more minutes until summer. Five minutes. It was torture to sit and watch the minute hand tick slowly around the clock. Fantasies and daydreams took over my mind. The first thing I had to do was run to my boyfriend, Mark. We had to spend as much time together this summer as possible. Mark was a senior, so he'd be leaving for college this coming school year.

I sighed just thinking about it. I wanted him to stay here with me. He'd jokingly said that he'd fail senior year so he could stay with me, but I couldn't make him do that. He was too smart to fail. I'd be a senior the coming school year, and I was definitely looking forward to that.

I sighed, placing my chin in my hands. Three minutes. The teacher started getting her things together, and there was a shift in the atmosphere. Kids were restless, fidgeting. My classmates were exchanging glances, whispering, "I'll call you in a few days. I'll miss you."

One and a half minutes until class was out for three months. I stared at the clock, willing it to go faster.

"All right, kids. Have a great summer. I'm looking forward to all of you being back next year."

_Yeah, yeah, yeah. C'mon, clock! Move!_

The bell rang, and I was out of my seat, running for Mark's classroom. He'd just walked out when I tackled him. He laughed. "Hey, Courtney. A little excited, hm?"

I smirked and kissed him. "You could say that," I murmured.

He squeezed my hand, and we walked outside, both of us smiling. This would be the best summer of my life. I walked home, rather than drove. It was much easier. Mark lived a few houses down from me; that was how we'd met, actually.

"So how was your last day?" Mark asked.

I shrugged. "The way it always is. Annoying. Irritating. Slow."

He laughed. "I'm sorry, Court, but you can't make time go any faster. It's May 28, 1982, and you can't change that."

I glared at him. "I know that. But I wish I could." Mark smiled at me and kissed my cheek.

"I love you."

"I love you, too," I whispered.

We stopped in front of my house. "See you tonight," he whispered.

"Okay."

I smiled. Our hands fell back to our sides slowly. I turned and went inside.

"Courtney's back!" my brother, David, shouted.

"Thank God! What would we do without her?" my other brother, Stephen sighed sarcastically.

"I think you're all jerks," snapped Drew, my younger brother.

"Whatever, Drew. No one cares what you think. You're the youngest," Matthew, my - yes, you guessed it - brother sneered.

"All of you shut up," I growled. "Just let me think."

David was eighteen; he graduated this year. Stephen was twenty, and Drew was fifteen, two years younger than I was. Matthew was sixteen, and somehow, he'd deluded himself into thinking he was the coolest.

"Never!" they all shouted.

I gritted my teeth and pounced on Matthew. Why? Because he was the closest.

"Ow, Courtney!" he shouted as I pinched his side. Yeah, that was all I had to do. I wondered how he thought he was cool when I could take him down by pinching him.

"What was that? You want me to what?" I teased.

"Get her!" David announced, and there were three bodies on top of me. I wriggled out of all of their grips, leaving them all piled on Matthew.

"Well, well, well," I chuckled. "And you thought that you were going to take me down? I'm the best out of all of you, and you know it."

"Yeah, we know it," Drew sighed.

"Good."

The rest of the afternoon was spent playing chase and wrestling with my brothers. As the only girl in the family, I was the "punching bag." It was ironic, really. I was the one who was supposed to get beat up, but all I was doing was beating them up.

Finally, the sun set, and I went outside and waited for Mark. It was a tradition of sorts. The first few nights of summer, we'd lay out and look at the stars.

I saw a man walking down the street and thought nothing of it. Little did I know that that man would become my worst enemy and savior all at once.

"Hello," he said as he came closer. His hair was blond, and his skin was pale. He looked like a god.

"Um... hi."

"What are you doing out here on such a lovely evening?" he asked politely, coming closer.

"Waiting for my boyfriend," I answered calmly.

"Hm." He smiled at me. "I'm James."

"Courtney," I replied.

"Well, Courtney, what is your boyfriend's name?"

"Mark." All right, now he was starting to creep me out.

He grinned at me. "You'll thank me."

"Thank you for what?" I whispered, starting to back up.

"This," he hissed, launching himself at me.

I felt teeth ripping into my skin, and then nothing but fire. And somewhere, I knew I was dying. But I couldn't die. I had to stay. I had to wrestle with Matthew, David, Drew, and Stephen. I had to go back to school and become a senior. I had to spend the entire summer with Mark. I couldn't die, damn it!

But then the fire took over me, and I barely restrained screaming. Everything plunged into darkness, and it was like black fire, ravaging my body. I heard a sinister chuckle and told myself that if I made it out of this, I'd find that son of a bitch who did this to me.

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**Yes, Courtney got attacked by James. Yes, it's sad. But it's all part of the plot. Just bear with me.**

**Please review. They mean so much and encourage me to keep writing.**

**XO,**

**Jessica  
**


	2. Auras

**I feel like crap for not updating this in forever. I know how cliff-hangy-ish that was, and I really meant to get it up sooner, but I just got caught up in life, and . . . well, you probably know the rest. I'm sorry, I'm sorry - I truly do apologize. It's been like a bazillion years, and I never meant for that to happen. So again, once more, and always, SORRY. And on with the story!! YAY. :D**

**Disclaimer: Courtney and Mark? Mine. Edward and Bella? Not mine.**

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_2010_

I was darting through the trees, laughing with my love, my mate, my husband, really - Mark. He grabbed my arm. I scowled, still moving. I hated it when he caught me. Especially since I was so much faster than he was. I growled and pulled us into the air, seeing the auras surrounding us. Mark's was a white, streaked by gold and silver. Mine was a purple, flecked with gold and white.

Mark whimpered. He hated flying. That was, of course, exactly the reason I did it. "Courtney, come on. You lost this time. Please, let me down?"

I chuckled, smiling sweetly. "I love you, Mark."

"I love you, too, Courtney." The reply was cautious, wary. And it should have been. Mark knew me better than anyone. Which was why he anticipated it when I suddenly let go of my mental grip on his aura, or, as I thought of it, soul.

He whimpered, free-falling. I caught him with my mind, lifting him once more. "You know I wouldn't let you fall, right?" I murmured, taking his hand.

Mark curled his fingers into a fist, silently warning me not to touch him. I had abilities that had far surpassed any other vampire we'd come across. I could make people fly if I'd touched them before. If physical contact was made, I could feel their feelings toward me. All of it had to do with their aura, or soul, or whatever it was.

Mark could read my mind and feel my emotions - that was it. Yet it was nice to know that he was so attuned to me that those traits had come through, even with his change.

Which reminded me. We'd been on the hunt for years, searching for James. He had cost us our lives, and we were going to repay the favor.

I nodded at Mark who smiled sadly.

We'd learned long ago that our emotions could essentially destroy our entire relationship. If I was upset, Mark was upset. And vice versa. We had to keep our emotions in balance with each other, otherwise things would get terribly out of hand. Many a time things had been thrown, words had been said that we both didn't mean - it was just our feelings kept getting amplified with each pass from one to another. I would get mad, which made Mark angry, which in turn was thrown back to me, and etc. We had to control ourselves and work on being calm.

I lowered us softly. Our feet hit the ground, and Mark immediately sat on the ground. "Mark, you know I was only joking, right?" I asked worriedly.

He nodded, not saying a word. I touched his shoulder hesitantly and felt resentment flow through me, along with fear.

"I won't do it again, if it bothers you that much," I murmured, my hand falling to my side.

Mark finally looked up, his black hair falling into his face. His golden eyes were wide, filled with shock. "No, Courtney," he whispered fiercely. "Your playfulness is one of the things I love about you. Don't give that up. I'll be fine, really."

I sighed and hugged him. His familiar arms wrapped around my waist before he picked me up, snarling playfully, "I've still got you."

Shrieking, I twisted and turned, laughing. It was almost like it used to be . . . when we'd been human.

A vicious growl alerted us to danger, and just as I looked up, a huge russet wolf lunged at us.

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**Any questions about Mark or Courtney's abilities? I tried to make it simple, but my head is so jumbled up. It's eleven o'clock at night, so I'm kinda out of it. I've tried to explain what Courtney does to like seven different people, and they all look at me like I'm crazy. So here's a short summary of what they can both do.**

**As long as she has touched them in some way, Courtney can see people's souls. She can feel their feelings toward her, but only toward her. She can make them move by using her mind. The only way that can happen is if she has control of their soul.**

**By the way, the reason she can control people is because she lost control of her own life when James attacked her, so her vampirism is giving her a second chance to control something, since her own fate couldn't be controlled. And she can fly because she was always a dreamer. Anyway, onto Mark.**

**He is much simpler. He can hear Courtney's thoughts and feel her emotions. He was so in sync with her when they were human that it just carried through his change, just on a much higher level. **

**Hope that cleared up a lot.**

**I love you guys! So much. Review, and PM me. I love meeting people from all over.**

**XOXO  
**


	3. Meeting Renesmee

**Chapter 3!! YAY! :D**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight. It all belongs to Stephenie Meyer. (Bows down) **

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**_Previously..._**

_A vicious growl alerted us to danger, and just as I looked up, a huge russet wolf lunged at us._

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"Jake, no!" a female child's voice called out desperately. The wolf stiffened, landing right in front of us. Mark pulled me behind him, snarling. I wrinkled my nose. Whatever this was, it smelled horrible.

"Jacob, get back here," called an older male voice. The wolf bared its teeth before darting back to the form of a young girl, perhaps six or seven. It nuzzled its jaw against her. She giggled.

The girl was strange. She had a heartbeat, yet her scent and face was that of a vampire. Her hair was bronze, and her eyes were a chocolate brown, twinkling with mischief and warmth. "Hi, I'm Renesmee," she said happily.

"Renesmee, what did we tell you about talking to strangers?" sighed the same male voice. He came into view. He must have been close to my age. His hair was a striking bronze color, matching the young girl's perfectly. His heart didn't beat anymore. He was a vampire, most definitely. He scooped her into his arms.

"But they aren't strangers, Daddy," she said earnestly. "These are the new friends that Auntie Alice saw."

"Nessie, we don't know that," murmured a new voice. It was female, and she came into view. "Thanks, Jake, but it wasn't the best time for that," she said to the huge wolf. Her hair was brown, and I could see her facial features in the young girl's face. She looked up, and her eyes were a light golden. She smiled. "We're sorry about that. Jacob gets carried away easily."

Mark's teeth were still bared, his body in a low crouch, ready to spring. I was behind him, taking this in. Something was off. Just the way they stood together, almost like a -

"Mommy, can't I go say hi to them?" the child - Renesmee - asked, tugging at the woman's sleeve.

Suddenly, it all made sense. Mommy - Auntie Alice - the way they stood - how easily the man had scooped her into his arms, almost like it had happened a million times before - the girl was their daughter.

"But . . . how?" I choked out. The pain raking over me was intense, and I took Mark with me in the process. He cringed, a soft hiss leaving his lips. It wasn't possible. Two vampires could not have a child together - and especially not one with a heartbeat. This was the thing I craved - I wanted a child. I wanted to give Mark a child. But I couldn't - but these two vampires. . . They had.

The man smiled politely. "We seem to have forgotten our manners. I'm Edward. This is my wife, Bella -" At this, his hand reached for hers. "- and my daughter, Renesmee." I hated the way he said her name. Like she was a gift. Like he had gotten everything he ever wanted in life.

Unlike Mark and I.

I watched them carefully. "I'm Courtney. This is Mark," I answered cautiously.

The woman, Bella, laughed. "Oh, we know." She and her husband exchanged amused glances, and my jaw locked. I hated being turned into a joke. My life was not funny. My knowledge was sparse and valuable. How was I to know that they knew us?

"How?" Mark asked, his voice a low growl.

"We can explain back at our home," Edward said. "Would you like to come?"

"Please do," encouraged Renesmee. "Please?"

Though this child was the bane of my existence at the moment, she was what I wanted, and I could not refuse her.

"Of course," I answered softly. I glanced at Mark. He nodded, taking my hand. Still, I was not sure that I could trust these vampires who had mysteriously appeared. "As far as they know, we don't have abilities," I murmured almost inaudibly. Mark nodded once more.

We moved slowly toward the family. My eyes were glued to Renesmee's darling face. Mark was keeping a close watch on the wolf-thing. Jacob, they'd called it.

"This is my best friend, Jacob," Renesmee explained cheerfully, seeing our preoccupation with the huge dog.

"A dog?" I asked uncertainly, looking it over. As I stared longer, I could see impatience and annoyance in its eyes. I recoiled a little, not comprehending why this animal was looking at me as if I'd said something offensive.

"Well, sorta," Renesmee admitted, giggling.

"Jacob is a shape-shifter," Bella explained, ruffling the fur on Jacob's head. "You just happened to catch him in wolf form."

I nodded. That made a lot more sense.

"Is Renesmee really . . .?"

"Our daughter? Yes," Edward answered. "Bella carried her when she was human. It nearly killed her."

Renesmee frowned, her bronze curls swaying slightly as she turned. "I'm sorry, Momma."

Bella smiled warmly at her daughter, and I felt a pang of jealousy go through me at the sight. "It's all right, Nessie, dear."

Satisfied, the young girl grinned and motioned for us to follow her. "Come on. I want you to meet Auntie Alice. She said you were coming."

I didn't have time to ask what that meant when Mark growled at Jacob suddenly. Edward snarled, crouching to pounce at Mark.

"Hey, leave him alone!" I snapped, grabbing Mark's hand.

"Edward, love, whatever he thought, it couldn't have been that bad," Bella sighed, grabbing her husband's arm as well.

My eyes widened. Wait. _Whatever Mark thought?_

"You can -"

"Read minds. Yes," Edward answered, his face still marred by anger.

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**Yay, finished a chapter! I feel so accomplished. XD**

**PM me. Review. You guys know the drill.**

**-Jessica  
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	4. Meeting The Family

**I know. It's been forever. I've been working on other things, though. So... Yay update...? Lol.**

**Disclaimer: Courtney and Mark? Mine. Everyone else? ... Nope.**

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_Previously..._  
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_My eyes widened. Wait. _Whatever Mark thought?

_"You can -"_

_"Read minds. Yes," Edward answered, his face still marred by anger._

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We all blinked at each other, unsure of what to do. "Well," I said briskly. "That's interesting." I kept my thoughts safe for Edward to read. I thought only of the places we'd been, the things we'd seen, but I was shocked. Edward could read anyone's mind, whereas Mark could only read mine. Strange. "Anything else you'd like to tell us?" I asked angrily. I hated being surprised like that.

"Renesmee here can project visions of things she's seen. Basically, she makes you read her mind," Bella said, nuzzling her cheek against her daughter's hair. Renesmee giggled softly.

A soft, agonized whine came from my throat, and Mark took my hands. "We don't have to go if you don't want to," he whispered.

I gritted my teeth and looked at him. He was my best friend, my husband, my mate. He was the only one I had in this entire world. I felt like I had let him down by not being able to give him a child. I sighed, leaning into his chest. His arms wrapped around my waist, and he held me for a few moments.

"Well?" Bella asked, only compassion in her voice.

"Yes, we'll go," I whispered. Mark made a soft whining sound against my hair. I knew he didn't want us to go. He didn't want to be trapped in a house of vampires, where we wouldn't have a fair fight.

Renesmee smiled. "Good! Let's go!" Then she began to run the direction that she'd come from. Jacob glanced at us once more, then bounded after Renesmee. Bella and Edward followed him, hand in hand. Mark and I never held hands when we ran. I was too competitive to let him slow me down even by a little.

I took off, Mark right behind me. To my excitement, we passed Edward and Bella, and I could see Jacob just ahead. Then we flew into a huge, open lawn in front of a gorgeous house.

I froze, rocking on my heels and grabbed Mark's hand to stop him as well. Edward and Bella came to a stop in front of us.

"You beat me," Edward accused, looking shocked.

I nodded. "Yeah. . . So?"

Bella spoke up. "He's the fastest out of our family. We're startled, to say the least."

I shrugged nonchalantly. "Oh." I thought back to when I was human, when I ran races for school. I was faster than anyone else, then as well. How I wished to go back to that life. I would have finished high school, I would have gone to college with Mark, and we'd be in our late forties by now, with children.

Edward visibly winced. We locked eyes, both challenging each other to say something.

A new voice broke me out of my contest with Edward. "All right! Edward, stop throwing angst!"

"It's not me, Jasper," he murmured.

A blonde-haired man came into view, looking confused. He tensed the moment he saw Mark and me.

"Jasper, this is Courtney and Mark," Bella said, introducing us.

Jasper smiled hesitantly. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm sure Alice will -"

Then I was tackled unexpectedly. A growl left my throat, and I heard laughter. "Oh, calm down, Courtney," a petite female voice said. "We're going to be great friends. It's nice to meet you, Mark." I looked up, and a small, black-haired girl was sitting on top of me, grinning. "I'm Alice."

Oh, so this was Renesmee's "Auntie Alice." I could see why Renesmee was attached to her. She stood lithely, then extended a hand to help me up. I took it, jumping up almost as gracefully as she had.

"I hope I didn't scare you too bad," she chuckled.

I smiled tentatively. "No, I'm fine."

Jasper smirked. "Sure you are." That seemed like a strange thing to say. I kept that filed in my memory, but I had bigger questions to ask at this point.

"Now how do you know who we are?" I demanded, moving back to stand with Mark. I felt outnumbered with four vampires, a shape-shifter, and a young half vampire girl standing together. Of course, I could always flee, but that wasn't an option. I had to know more.

Alice smiled. "I have visions. I saw you coming. We're going to be friends, I just know it."

"And why did you tell Edward to stop throwing angst?" I asked Jasper curiously.

He smiled calmly. "I'm an empath."

I nodded. That made sense. Of course, Mark was as well, but only to me. From what I'd gathered, Jasper could feel everyone's emotions. Renesmee smiled, and I unconsciously reached for Mark's hand. I needed support through this.

A huge man came darting out of the house, a grin on his face. "Hey, Alice, guess what? I beat the level on -" He stopped when he saw me. "Oh, Courtney, Mark, the two Alice won't shut up about." A grin broke out on his face. "Hey, I'm Emmett." Then he hugged me, lifting me off the ground.

I growled quietly, and he chuckled. "You're like a chihuahua, Courtney - really small, but you think you're the biggest one."

Oh, he was in for it. I snarled. "I don't know who you think you're messing with, but let me tell you - when I get out of this, you are going down, fat man."

He let me go in shock. _Bingo,_ I thought, dropping to my knees, then lunged right for his chest.

"What the -" Emmett's exclamation cut off as I tackled him to the ground. Despite my small size, I was nowhere near gentle and dainty. Growing up with four brothers had made me skilled in the art of fighting.

I was currently sitting on top of Emmett, glaring at him. "What was that about being small, Emmett?" I smirked.

He had a look of complete surprise on his face. The others howled in laughter. I got off of Emmett, smiling a little, but mostly smirking.

He stood up, sulking. I grinned. "That was fun, Emmett. You remind me of my brother." Matthew always thought he was going to win, and I always beat him. I was momentarily upset, thinking back on my little brother. He had to be forty-something by now. Was he married? Did he have kids? And did he miss me? I shook my head, forcing myself to come back to the present. Mark had already promised me that we would find them somehow.

Emmett glared at me for a long moment. He turned around and headed for the house. I cut him off. "You want a rematch?"

He grinned hugely. "Hell yeah."

"When and where? I'm ready any time." I smirked. He scowled in response.

"Tonight, right here."

"See you then."

Emmett's eyes darkened. "I will be kicking your ass, Miss Courtney."

"We'll see about that, Em." I laughed and bounded back to Mark and the others. I took his hand, and he hugged me.

"Did you get a rematch?"

"Of course." He smiled.

"Uncle Em's hard to beat. You're really good," Renesmee chirped.

I loved the compliment, but I hated the person who said it. I wanted a daughter so badly. Jasper's face twisted, reflecting the pain I felt inside. Mark's body stiffened against mine, telling me that he had caught my emotions as well.

I hugged him, hoping to calm us both down. It worked, thankfully. But someone was a little more observant.

"Why did you calm down when you hugged him?" Jasper asked, carefully looking us over.

I shrugged. I would have to lie. They could not know our powers. Not now. "He's familiar, I guess. I didn't even realize I did it."

Jasper seemed to believe my explanation. I was thankful for that. I released Mark, murmuring, "Thank you."

He smiled a little. "Love you," he replied softly.

I grinned and shoved him a little. "Love you more," I challenged.

"Oh, you think so, huh?" I nodded, and he lunged toward me, a grin on his face. I shrieked and darted from him, laughing.

A hand gripped my arm, and I screamed.

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**Yay, I updated! Hopefully the next one won't be as long of a wait. Sorry to those who like this story!! Special mention to VampXoX who helped me stop being lazy! Thanks!!**

**Review? Please?**

**- J.C.**


	5. Fury

**Finally updated! Please review? It's the 20th, so... : / Please? I'm begging you guys.**

**Disclaimer: Mark and Courtney? Thankfully, mine. **

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Previously...

_A hand gripped my arm, and I screamed._

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Fury washed over me in waves, and I crumpled, the wind knocked out of me though I didn't need to breathe.

"Courtney!" Mark gasped. I knew he wouldn't be able to get to me in time. Pain was already coursing through my system, and I gritted my teeth against screaming. I heard two distinct thuds as Mark and Jasper hit their knees.

I grit my teeth and tried not to let this feeling overtake me. I couldn't allow this rage to control my actions - if I did the results could be deadly.

It was another one of my abilities. If a feeling or emotion was powerful, and someone touched me, that feeling then became my own. It was not one of my more convenient gifts.

But it was all too much. The stress from meeting Renesmee and her family, coupled with how deep this feeling was had left my ability to resist giving in to this anger weak. The anger washed through me, and I allowed it to give me strength. I hated feeling weak, anyhow. I snarled and gripped her wrist, my eyes narrowing.

"Stay away from my children," a female voice hissed.

A snarl ripped from my throat, and I ripped her arm off of me, dropping to my knees and preparing to lunge at her.

"Courtney, no," Mark growled, grabbing my arms and spinning me around to face him. He gripped both of my wrists in one of his hands, and with the other, he held the back of my head, forcing me to look at him.

I snarled, trying to get away. All I wanted to do was get to that woman and show her the pain she had made me endure. Mark gripped me tighter and shook me. In the back of my mind, I knew I needed to calm down because Mark was just as angry as I was at this point.

"Breathe," he whispered roughly. I growled, still trying to free myself. "No, Courtney. Look at me," he ordered.

He forced my head to stay still, and my eyes were locked on his. They were identical in color, but I was sure mine were filled with fury. Mark's eyes were filled with compassion and patience, even though I had to be throwing anger at him. Strength and tranquility flowed into me, and I knew instinctively that it was from Mark and not Jasper.

I took deep breaths, though the action was unnecessary. Over time, I calmed down enough that I didn't need to hang on to Mark. He released my wrists, leaned forward, and kissed my cheek softly. "Are you all right?" he murmured.

I nodded slowly, inhaling deeply. "Yeah, I'm okay. Thanks, Mark."

"You're welcome, Courtney." He squeezed my hand.

When I looked back at the Cullens, there was a broad range of expressions. Everything from anger to surprise, sadness to smugness. Edward seemed the most angered.

"Is there something you'd like to tell us?" he growled. I cringed back from his voice and happened to glance at the woman. She had an apologetic look on her face, but I didn't want to think about that at this moment.

I glanced back at Edward and shook my head slowly.

He growled. "You just attacked our mother!"

"You _what_?" came a pair of icy voices that left me reaching out for Mark's hand. Two blonde vampires came into view, one a few years older than the other. The girl had to have been by far the most beautiful woman ever. And the man looked like he usually had an air of calm over him that everyone around him wanted to attain. But as of this second, his face was filled with anger, his golden eyes sparking as he glared at me.

Emmett came out of the house and kissed the blonde quickly. "Hey, Rosie." He paused, his eyebrows dipping as he took in the scene in front of him. "Are we having a party, Carlisle? I mean, geez, I knew everyone wanted to meet Courtney and Mark, but I didn't know we had to do it at one time."

Edward growled. "No, Emmett, we're not. Courtney just attacked Esme."

The blonde man - Carlisle - narrowed his eyes, and Emmett's widened as he looked at me in shock. "What the hell, Courtney?"

I groaned. "It's not my fault. I can explain." I glanced at the woman - Esme. She moved forward, and I whimpered, backing into Mark.

"I'm really not like that," she insisted. She extended her hand, and I hesitantly took it. Remorse rushed through me, and I released her hand, exhaling slowly. I nodded.

"I feel other's emotions," I explained. "But only through physical contact. And sometimes, when emotions are strong enough, they become mine. I do apologize."

Edward's jaw locked, and he sighed.

Mark spoke up. "Speaking of which, what did Courtney ever do to you?" he asked Esme.

She smiled apologetically. "I thought you were someone else... Victoria."

The Cullens grew motionless, looking solemn.

"Okay, who's that?" I asked.

"She was a vampire who tried to kill Bella. She wanted revenge because I killed her mate, James," Edward explained.

A shock went through me at that name. There was no possible way that it was the same person...

"Killed him?" I bit out.

Edward nodded.

_Oh, you guys are _dead_, _I thought angrily.

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**Uh-oh, Edward killed James, and that's what Courtney wanted to do... Oh, and just so you guys know, I updated all my stories, except Emerald and Topaz, which is finished.**

**Review?**

**- J.C.**


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